Night, Tachycardia, cold, pain left arm, breath pauses

[zlsetrdx]

Hi. I am 25. My symptoms started last Monday, a sudden onset. When the night comes, I start feeling some breath difficulty and a mild nausea. Shortly after I lie down on my bed, I feel cold and I get nausea and tachycardia (the first night my heart was pounding really hard, but next day I did some light exercise before going to bed and my tachycardia was considerably milder; also that first night, I only got some relief for the tachycardia and low bp by sitting down next to my bed and resting my body on the side of my bed). I also feel very afraid, like every little noise makes my heart pound faster. When I'm half asleep I feel I'm making pauses in breathing, as I suddenly feel I have to catch a deep breath. When I wake up my heart feels tired and aching, but not a tingling pain but like when you work out too hard. My left arm also aches mildly all the time, tingling in my veins, mostly on my shoulder, the inside of my elbow, the base of my toe and my fingertips, and it feels weaker. When I am walking I feel my hands kind of heavy, like some blood is packed inside. I went to the doctor last Thursday. He gave me tranquilizers (alprazolam) and told me to avoid sugar, fat and any physical activity. I also had some exams last Friday but the results aren't ready until Wednesday next week (health service is kind of slow here), then I have to make another appointment with the doctor. Meanwhile, I am really confused and afraid. I don't know what I have, nor even a hint, and next week seems like an awfully long time. Please help me. Thanks in advance.

[CCF HeartMD6]

If you do not have any other cardiac risk factors (high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, history of diabetes, tobacco use, or family history of early heart disease), your relatively young age would make underlying coronary artery disease an unusual (and unlikely) cause for your symptoms.  The constellation of your symptoms could certainly be explained by anxiety, but impossible to be able to say just by description alone.  However, if you are not experiencing any new or worsening/progression of your current symptoms, I think it would be safe to be able to wait for the results of your testing.  However, if anything should worsen that raises concern, you can always go to your nearest emergency room for further evaluation.

[zlsetrdx]

Thank you so much! I just read anxiety is not a mortal disease (I really thought I was on the verge of a heart attack) so I feel a little more relieved. I say a little because I hope they don't find anything more serious in the exams. My symptoms are similar to anxiety indeed: I can't sleep (especially face up), I have to take deep breaths, I can feel a wave of energy through my nerves (like the feeling when one's about to speak before an audience of hundreds), I wake up tired but not sleepy. Now I feel nervous even in daylight but everything is worse in the night. My tachycardia and the pain in my arm are much milder, though. The alprazolam allows me to sleep well about 4-5 hours every night.